The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-03-04
A I49 LEDGER. iss
Drinking Among the Early Gold Seekers
of California.

of California.
Among the papers Of the late James
". Marshall, the discoverer Of gold in
California, was found the account book
Of n firm that carried on business in
COloma in 49. This. as is well known, is
the place where gold was discovered.
The book Is full OF charges Of merChan-
disc TO various persons, and in this
respect is very much Ike an ordinary
day-bOok, but 10 also served as a cash
book and general memorandum Of
all kinds Of transactions. The name Of
the firm was Shannon & Cady.
That the 49crs early began q life Of
dissipation Is proved by the fact that
the liquor trade OF the firm exceeded
all the rest Of their business. There
were then as many different kinds Of
liquors as ere have to-day. Some of
them were in greater demand than
others.
The following is the order in which
they seem to have been preferred, to-
gether with the price per quart bottle:
Ale S5; champagne cider, Sc; cham
paCne, Sl2; brandy. Sc; whisky. Sc; Ros-
olio cordials, 81; Stoughton bitters. s.;
gin, SIS; claTct So: SlllCry, sc porter
lpint bottles), 81; Absinthe was sold. for
which five dollars a bottle was charged
Ale, gin, porter and claret were abun-
dant
The following statement OF the first
days sales recorded IN the old book
will give an idea OF the amount of
liquor sold by the firm, and also the
general character OF the business. or
course, only credit sales we're itemiZed
in the book, but no doubt the cash sales
were about the same in character.
The amount OF credit sales for the
first day was s2J.5O. OF this s272 was
for liquor, $50 for provisions. s. for
vinegar and lemon syrup, and Sll.5O for
various small articles Of hardware.
Forty-six bottles Of ale were sold, two
bottles of champagne cider, and one
bottle of brandy. The ale was much
more in demand than any other liquor.
Whisky was either scarce or not popu-
lar drink.
Tho first charge made TO Marshall is:
Il bot. whisky Sc" which was the first
whisky sold. This will cause many
one TO smile who knows of tho weak
ness that efterward bllghted the poor
old mans life. His next purchase Was
moro cTeditable To him so lbs. flour,
s25."
Among the debtors Of the firm the
name " Pat Doody" occurs quite often.
lie was a miner, for there are many
credits FOR gold dust TO his account.
For some time at decent intervals. he
bought a moderate amount OF liquoU,
but suddenly, one Wednesday, the
charges against him for alcoholic re
tions.
That day his liquor bill was twenty
dollars; the following day, twenty
three dollars; and up 10 next Tuesday,
or during SIX DAYS, he spent ninety
nine dollars for liquor He did not
confinc himself to one kind. but bought
about equal proportions % ale, clRret,
brandy, gin, and whisky. besides the
drinks. After this there is a sugges-
tive absence of the name Of Pat DoOdy
from the books for several weeks.
Then on two consecutive days there
are two charges to " 7. DOOdv 10y Mrs.
d." Women. as everyone knows, were
scarce in the mines then. and this is the
only woman named in the book. So il
seems that Pat had a wife. There can
be no doubt that this fearful weeks
spree had prostratcd him, and at last
she had come 10 the store herself TO
make some TaTcLu=eS. Tho first article
that she called for-or, at least, the
first article ChsrEe-was, whisky, II.
The next day, among other articles she
got, whisky. SO
These are signs that Pat was coming
to a gain. He had, however. evidently
learned the lesson not TO fool with
mixed drinks, but to stick to the good
old Irish beverage, whisky, and go it
straight. Although Mrs DooJy was
compelled to buy ten dollars worth Of
whisky in two DAYS for her GONZALES
cent husband, she was much more
frugal in her purchases than he had
ever been. for she had also bought
thitty GolllIs worth Of provisions.
Two days after this "P. Doody' makes
his appearance again, and is charged
with, " box Seidlitz powders, s. so"
This move on the part Of Pat Will be
understood by any one who IS in the
least familiar with the habits OF the
topers i'm those times. These powders
were very much esteemed by them, and
were taken as a means of regulating the
disturbed digestive apparatus after pro-
Iongcd spTeos. InnumeTablc boxes were
sold, and two dollars and a half box
was invariably charged ArgOnaut.